Ginger Parrish is a wife, mother of three, blogger at The Parrish Place and shop owner at Gigi Pip. Family means everything to Ginger, and their positive spirits and kind hearts are contagious. She’s always looking so put together that we had to ask, “How do you do it?” Here are Ginger’s top three tips for getting out the door with three kiddos in tow.

If I could stay home all day every day, I totally would. Unfortunately that’s not an option these days with preschool, soccer practice and groceries waiting to be bought. But to be honest with you, getting out the door has been one of the hardest adjustments from two kids to three. I’m outnumbered in hands, outnumbered in shoes to tie, outnumbered in tone of voice, bums to clean and seat belts to buckle. Planning ahead doesn’t come second nature to me, so I’ve had to dig a little deeper to keep this crazy train from derailing. Getting out the door is tricky when staying home is an option, but I’ve learned that I’m happier when I try to get up and get out at least once each day. Here are the top three tricks that help me get there:

1. Ziploc Snack Bags. Between nursing + having hungry boys who ask for cereal before I’m even done cleaning up lunch — my Ziploc system is a golden mom hack in my book. I shop for healthy snacks in bulk at Costco. Right when I get home I fill gallon sized baggies with random on the go power foods right away. If I split them up before I’m in a hurry to get out the door, I can grab a bag + plop it into the diaper bag without even having to think about it. If I leave snacks in the cupboard all the time, they lose their luster when we are out + about. So filling first thing is prime! Snack bags double as my reward system during errands. Examples: Trailmix, Fruit Leather, Fruit Snacks, freeze dried fruit, etc.

2. Self Sufficient Shoes. It might sound silly, but buying shoes that the boys can put on without my help has been a game changer for me. Jonah + Rigg each have a basket shoes by the door that they can put on without my help. Takes a bit more intentional time on my end to find shoes that are kid-user friendly, but it makes a difference for us. “Please put your shoes on boys,” and the fact that they can do it without my supervision saves me a good half a feeding for Jack! We love these sandals by Avarcas and these Vans with the laces that stay tied.

3. Chore Charts. I’m constantly searching for a balance between promoting individuality and giving the world to my children. We’ve had to tweak our parenting tactics to cater each of their personalities over time. Chore charts have been a long time love around here! It eliminates my nagging and naturally guides our day to the right foot. We usually talk about what “line” we need to get to before we will be able to leave the house. I add simple tasks such as “get dressed” “brush teeth” “make bed” to their chore charts each week. It helps us stick to a schedule and gives me a breath of sustainability. Doesn’t hurt that our sweet boys live for chore chart stickers! This is one of my favorite free downloadable charts, here.

We aren’t immune to break downs and I end up staying in some of the time, but I’ve found that with a little preparation, getting out the door isn’t quite as daunting as it used to be!